Daily Times

Successful execution of CPEC projects is due to the untiring efforts from unsung heroes of CPEC who have put their hearts and souls into making it a reality. These men and women with their iron-clad hands are building a community with a shared future for mankind. With their hearts made of gold, creating a path for peace and progress in the world. Without a skillful, dedicated, and passionate team, nothing can be implemented. A dream or a vision needs people who not only understand the idea fully but live and breathe with it to make it a living reality creating a shared future for mankind. CPEC with its game-changing ability is strengthened by the outstanding contribution of the people who are working with their hearts and souls.

These heroes of CPEC have recently been celebrated by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Islamabad where an award ceremony was hosted to recognize the efforts of the workforce on CPEC. A tribute was paid to these heroes of CPEC for their honesty, dedication, and commitment to CPEC. 27 staff members received these awards working on different CPEC projects including Gwadar port, energy, infrastructure, and other fields. Higher officials from both sides, staff of CPEC projects, and journalists attended the ceremony virtually.

The purposefully awarding ceremony reflects the Chinese patronage of CPEC projects and their employees including Pakistani nationals. Both sides recognize the important fact that progress comes with a skilled and highlighted motivated workforce. Recognition of this kind gives a confidence boost to the workforce and others also get inspired to work for the better. Since the inception of the CPEC projects, the design, planning, implementation, and all the other phases, both Pakistani and Chinese have worked a day in and out to make these dreams a reality.

It has been observed that from the length and breadth of Pakistan there is a network of communications working to support industries and connecting the markets to the global networks. Energy projects that boosted Pakistan’s economy have achieved major progress despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Strong momentum of development at the CPEC enables timely completion of CPEC projects. CPEC is an important part of BRI and a milestone in the way of its global success.

During the pandemic, CPEC projects did not cut Pakistani labor nor withdrew the Chinese workforce during these challenging times. For the past eight years, China and Pakistan have been closely cooperating on CPEC. Any challenge comes what may, the CPEC remains active, thriving, and driving. Recently the 10th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on the CPEC in 2021 expressed satisfaction with CPEC projects.

During the ceremony, every high official appreciated the efforts, dedication, honesty, and integrity of the workforce employed at CPEC projects. The employees at the CPEC projects are not mere participants and developers of the CPEC but the witnesses and promoters of the history in a new geopolitical setting. These staff members of CPEC projects are an outstanding and iconic workforce that deserves recognition. China and Pakistan are closely consulting, deliberating, and executing the development policy with concrete results. This close cooperation is testified by exchange of congratulatory notes between the head of state to commemorate 70 anniversary of diplomatic relations on May 21, the third Pak-China Strategic Dialogue of Foreign Ministers on July 24, and telephonic communication between President Xi and Prime Minister Imran Khan to remain consistent with the development of CPEC projects.

After eight years of development, CPEC enters the maturity phase where its completed projects start giving tangible results while projects under construction are near completion. The web of roads, infrastructure, and energy projects gives impetus to the development of industrial zones, digital economy, blue economy, health, airport, agriculture, and climate change. Given the satisfactory pace of CPEC development, the 10th JCC established a new Joint Working Group on Information Technology Industry to tap the technological potential of Pakistan and China.

Meanwhile, the government of Pakistan is making utmost efforts to enable the success of CPEC and to reap the benefits of this game-changer. Pakistan introduced a new visa policy for Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects, established a Foreign National Security Cell to consolidate security for Chinese nationals, and set up a China-Pakistan Relations Steering Committee to resolve the issues about CPEC.

Prime Minister Imran Khan took personal care enabling industrial development under CPEC and held a series of meetings with Chinese investors and entrepreneurs. In sum, the success of CPEC is the aggregate of state responsibility and workforce of CPEC projects including executives and laborers. CPEC is helping to alleviate poverty and improve lives especially after the effective implementation of CPEC, Pakistan is expected to build an economic development environment that can offer more than 2.3 million employment opportunities.

CPEC is the near success of both China and Pakistan acting as a precursor of BRI’s success. The projects such as Matiari-Lahore HVDC Transmission line enabled AC-DV hybrid power grid, KarotHydropower project which started water storage, completion of Gwadar Technical and Vocational Institute, the launch of RashakaiSpecial Economic Zone, and construction of Northern part of Gwadar Free Zone are a real game-changer for socioeconomic development in Pakistan. The real heroes of CPEC are working tirelessly to make these dreams come true.

The writer is Founder (Friends of Belt and Road Initiative).